Nearly 32 years after marriage, man wants to annul 21-day marriage

At the age of 62, Bhore still has to make regular rounds of the family court and the Bombay High Court, reports Urvi Jappi.

Little did Machhindra Bhore know that he will be entangled in a life long legal battle with his wife, the marriage with whom lasted for only 21 days. Now at the age of 62, Bhore still has to make regular rounds of the family court and the Bombay High Court.

The Bombay High Court on Thursday imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on him for delay in filing the application.

Bhore, a resident of Belapur in Navi Mumbai, married Sheela on June 14, 1975. However after 21 days, Sheela returned to her parents' house at Ghatkopar in central suburbs allegedly without stating any reasons. Despite going to her place on several occasions, Bhore and his relatives failed to convince Sheela to return.

In November 1975, Bhore received a notice from Sheela's advocate seeking maintenance charges as the application was filed in the Vikhroli court. Instead of passing any order for maintenance, the magistrate directed Sheela to return to her husband's home in May 25, 1976. "She barely stayed for three years and then her parents forcibly took her back after giving a customary divorce in writing," said Bhore.

Nearly six months after that, in February 1977, the Vikhroli court directed Bhore to pay Rs 125 per month as compensation. Sheela had then filed an application for enhancement of compensation on two occasions, and the Family court had then raised the maintenance to Rs 1,500 per month in March 1996.

As the written customary divorce were given by Sheela, Bhore then married Mangal in 1988. Sheela had alleged that it was Bhore who "assaulted, abused, neglected and ill-treated" her and later 'expelled' her from the house on July 14, 1975 after which she filed a maintenance application before the Vikhroli court.

Bhore had challenged the maintenance orders passed by the Vikhroli court and family court in the High Court. However, the HC had directed Bhore to pay up the maintenance money. Sheela had also lodged a compliant against Bhore under section 494 of the Indian Penal Code for remarrying in her lifetime without proper divorce.

Bhore finally approached the HC in November 2006 for quashing of the complaint and dissolution of his first marriage with Sheela.

On Thursday a division bench of Justice JN Patel and Justice Amjad Sayed imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 for delay in filing the application and directed him to pay another Rs 3,000 as legal expenditure within one week.